Curtain-fixture device.



W. L. HAYMOND:

CURTAIN FIXTURE DE VICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, L915.

1, 182,009. Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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W. L. HAYMOND. CURTAIN FIXTURE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 19w.

Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IE 1.1: 77 E il]. fizz'z Mon UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIRT L. HAYMOND, OF ST. LOUIS,-MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ACME SUPPLY COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE DEVICE.

Application filed March 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WIRT L. HAYMOND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixture Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The roller curtains, particularly the type used upon railway cars, are generally provided with fixture devices on the lower end thereof, engaging in suitable guides to properly guide the curtain in opening and closing movements thereof, and furthermore to retain the curtain in an adjusted position against the tension of the spring in the roller. The constructions for this purpose have taken many different forms and shapes, but the controlling feature in any instal lation is, of course, simplicity in operation and cheapness of manufacture.

This invention relates to a type of curtain fixture retaining means wherein contact or gripping members engaged in curtain guides on the sash are held tensioned thereagainst, thus frictionally resisting adjustment of the curtain except when said members are thrust apart, thus decreasing the gripping effect thereof.

It is an object therefore of this invention to construct an improved form of curtain adjusting device embracing members movably mounted within a tubular casing and each normally impelled toward the other, and with mechanisms associated with each thereof for manually thrusting said members apart to release the same from guides in which they are engaged, and thus permit adjustment of the curtain.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a device adapted to cooperate with curtain guides secured upon a sash to frictionally hold a curtain adjusted in position against the tension of the roller therefor in a manner to permit adjustment of the curtain to different heights without necessitating a positive release or actuation of said holding members.

It is furthermore an important object of this invention to construct a curtain fixture device for holding curtains in adjusted po- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 9, 1916.

Serial No. 16,023.

sition embracing slidablymounted gripping members normally impelled toward one another and at their inner ends overlapping and provided withprojections on which handles are mounted for manually impelhng said members apart to release the same for adjustment of the curtain, the projections serving also as a means for limiting the movement of said members.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct an improved type of curtain fixture device simple in operation and construction and acting efficiently to perform the purpose. The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figure 1 isa fragmen: tary view illustrating a device embodying the principles of my invention associated with a curtain and curtain guide, and shown in section with the interior mechanism in elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional view with parts in elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged front view of the pinch members for the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the middle portion of the casing and the mechanisms therein. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of device. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of the modified form of device. Fig. 9 is a detail section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a detail section. taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

As shown in the drawings: The reference numeral 1, indicates the fabric of a curtain which is mounted in a window frame denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 2, and provided with tubular curtain guide members 3, of rectangular section which also form a stop for the sash 4, which is slidable in the window frame.

In the form of device illustrated in Fig. 1, a tubular hem 5, is provided on the cur tain, and a cylindrical shell 6, is inserted therein. The cylindrical shell member 6, is interiorly threaded at each of its ends, and engaged therein are threaded plug members 7. each having a knurled head 8, which affords a convenient means of actuation thereof to adjust the same in the casing. Slidable through axial apertures provided in said .plug members are the gripping or clamping members" which project through slots provided in the guides 3, on the sash. Each of said memberscomprises a rod 9, threaded into a cylindrical shank 10, which is 'slidably mounted in the plug 7, and terminates in a Web 11, integral therewith, and formed on each side of said web are flanges or contact feet 12, the outer edge of said web plate and saidflanges being slightly curved convexly, as clearly shown In Figs. 1 and 6. At the inner ends of said rods 9, squared -members 13, are threaded thereon, each member being elongated and restricted in dimension to 'form an offset shank 14, having a projection 15, on the end thereof, so that said respective members 13, on the inner ends of the respective rods 9, may interlock in slidin relation with one another in the manner 0 early shown in Fig. 4.

Formed on said rods 9, intermediate the ends thereof are collars 16, and coiled about said rods and the members 10, and bearing against the plugs 7, and against said collars 16, on each of said rods, are compression springs 17, which act normally to retract said rods 9, within-thecasing, impelling the same toward .one another. For the purpose of manually impelling said rods 9, outwardly from the casing, thus releasing the gripping or clamping. members 12, from within the inner walls of the curtain guide 3, pinch finger handles 18, are provided, which are formed integral on said members 15, and disposed to move in a slot cut in the walls of the hem 5 and the casing 6.

In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, I have shown inserted within the hem 19, of the curtain a cylindrical member 20, threaded interiorly at its ends to receive apertured plug members 21, engaged therein, each of said plugs having a knurled flange 22, for convenient actuation thereof. Slidably mounted in each of the threaded plugs 21,

'is a short stem 23, on the outer end of which is formed an elongated" angled clamping foot 24, and into the other end of which 1s threaded the small outer end of the rod 25.

Mounted on said rod 25 is a coiled compression spring 26, which at one end bears against the inner end of the plug 21, and at its other end against a washer 27, secured on the end ofsaid rod 25.

Guides 28 are,provided on each side of the window frame to receive the clamping feet 24, of the fixture therein. Said guides, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, are tubular and of rectangular cross section, and have a longitudinal slot therein through which said feet 24, project for engagement under tension on the inner surface of the outer. wall of the guides 28. Inserted centrally Within said tubular member 20, is a rod 29, which serves from the casing to hold said rod in place therein.

The operation is as follows: Contrary to the established practice in this class of devices the contact feet are held tensioned against the inner walls of the curtain guide members instead of being compressed outwardly thereagainst. Consequently, in order to release the fixture to permit adjustment of the curtain it is necessary to impel the gripping or contact members of the device away from one another, and this is accomplished by means of the pinch handles 18, due to the fact that the inner ends of the pull rods 9, of the device are provided with members 13, which overlap and interlock with one another.

A number of features of adjustability are provided, as for instance the compression on the springs 17, may be varied by threading the plugs 7, inwardly or outwardly in the casing, and of course this also affords a means of changing, to some extent, the. length of the fixture. Then, too, the length ofthe operating mechanisms of the fixture may be changed by threading the respective rods 9, in or out of the members 10, at their outer ends, and similarly in or out of the tain fixture wherein the tension upon theclamping feet within the guides is sufiicient to retain the curtain in any adjusted position and still permit the curtain to be raised or lowered by an operator without requiring a release of the clamping feet. As in the previous construction described, the clamping feet act to hold the curtain in an adjusted position by resilient means contained within the fixture normally pulling said clamping feet toward one another, and the stress on thesprings which exert the clamping effect on the feet, may be varied by adjusting the knurled threaded plugs 21, into orvout of the tubular casing provided.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing, rods slidably mounted therein, members secured on the inner ends of each of said rodsand formed with offset shanks having projections interlocking with one another to limit the movement of said rods toward and away from one another, springs normally holding said rods impelled toward one another, and gripping means mounted on the outer ends of said rods.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, bers adjustably secured on the outer ends of said rods, actuating means secured on the inner ends of each of said rods and adjustable to permit variation in the distance between said gripper members and said means, springs disposed within said casing acting normally to maintain said gripper members and rods impelled toward one another, and means independent of the adjustment between said gripper members and actuating means to vary the stress on said springs.

3. In a device of the class described, a

rods slidable therein, gripper memcasing, rods slidable therein, gripper members adjustably secured on the outer ends of said rods, actuating members adjustably secured on the inner ends of said rods and formed to interlock with one another to limit the movement of said rods toward and from one another, springs disposed within said casing acting normally to maintain said gripper members and rods impelled toward one another, and means independent of the adjustment between said gripper members and actuating means to vary the stress on said springs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oftwo 35 subscribing witnesses.

WIRT L. HAYMOND. Witnesses:

R. H. FREMAN, Eow. BRONENKAMP. 

